Generally, a scalpel includes a handle with a sharp blade attached. Scalpels may be used within a variety of different settings, including medical settings such as an operating room or hospital. For example, scalpels may be used as cutting instruments for surgeries.
Although the sharp blade of a scalpel is an essential component to many surgeries, the exposed, sharp blade may also pose a threat to the user or nearby people, such as the surgeon, the support personnel, or the patient. For example, the blade may result in unintentional cuts, puncture wounds, and/or tears (in the surgical gloves) before, after, or during procedures, all of which may further result in potentially life-threatening contamination or infection. For example, a used blade of the scalpel may be contaminated or infected, which may spread to other people if they are cut by the exposed blade. Even people outside of the operating room, such as personnel in charge of sanitation or disposal, may also be at risk due to exposed blades. This may be prevented with safety mechanisms.
A lid or cap may be used with the scalpel to reduce the risk of injury. However, the lid or cap may easily be lost or misplaced during surgery. Further, a lid or cap requires the surgeon to use both hands to remove from or place on the scalpel.
It may be desirable to use a mini scalpel instead of normal sized or larger scalpels for a variety of reasons, such as surgical procedures that require small instruments due to narrow operating fields or limited space within the operating room or on the surgical tray or table.